Owen James Denning dealt meth, collected drug money for Sean Denning

A Sunshine Coast father who acted as a dealer and debt collector for his drug lord son has been identified as it’s revealed the duo had raked in nearly $30,000 in only four months.

A Maroochydore father and son duo responsible for a booming meth trade across Maroochydore and Gympie raked in nearly $30,000 over the course of four months.

Owen James Denning, 62, was sentenced to three and a half years’ jail in the Brisbane Supreme Court for his role in dealing meth and collecting drug money between October, 2019 and February, 2020 for his son Sean Denning, 41.

The operation appeared to go unnoticed until a targeted police operation in the Gympie region in July, 2019 uncovered Denning’s son as a regular supplier of ice and GHB.

Judge Jack Kelly said in court documents Denning’s son had been dealing wholesale amounts of drugs and selling to customers who operated their own trafficking business.

Denning, a 62-year-old fuel worker, teamed up with his son to follow up and collect drug debts while simultaneously dealing meth to customers.

Owen James Denning was sentenced in the Brisbane Supreme Court. Picture: File

He also allowed his son to use his bank account to collect the proceeds of his drug trafficking business.

According to court documents there were 51 drug sales between October 6, 2019 and January 31, 2020 which amounted to $28,350 while Denning collected drug money at least 11 times for his son.

Judge Kelly said discussions between Denning and his son’s 40 customers did not disclose the sum of money which Denning had collected.

Denning continued his escapades throughout December, 2019 where he supplied meth to his son’s customers four times, ranging from 1.75g to 14g.

Their family affair came to a grinding halt on January 11, 2020 according to court documents after a raid on their home exposed the depths of their booming meth business with phones seized.

Denning had been charged with supplying meth across Maroochydore. Picture: File

A further search warrant was also executed on August 18, 2020 where more evidence was gathered.

Judge Kelly in his sentencing said Denning’s ice dealing occurred for only his son’s customers and it was not alleged that he personally profited from drug trade.

The court was told Denning had been in remission from cancer and was a man who had generally been in poor and fragile health throughout his life.

Denning pleaded guilty to four counts of supplying drugs and receiving money from drug trafficking and was sentenced to three and a half years’ jail, suspended for three and a half years.

Convictions were recorded.